The present invention relates to a locking system and method. In particular, the present invention relates to a locking system for vehicle closure(s) having means to sense the presence of people within a passenger compartment of the vehicle.
Passive entry systems for vehicles are known. Users of such systems usually generally carry a smart card type authorization device that in effect unlocks the doors and other closures of their vehicle when the user is in range of a smart card scanner associated with the vehicle, and the identity of the authorization device is accepted. The user then unlatches the vehicle door and enters. In some cases, the smart card also effectively energises the vehicle's start system so that the user may then press a button, for example, to start the vehicle.
Typically, there may be three lock states: unlocked, in which the door may be unlatched from inside and outside the vehicle; locked, in which the door may be unlatched from the interior but not the exterior of the vehicle (eg using an inside door handle); and double locked (super locked) in which neither intervention with the interior or exterior handles etc of the door will unlatch the door—unlatching may only be achieved by using a key, remote keyless entry device (RKE) or other authorization device to first unlock the door.
One problem with passive entry systems arises when attempting to determine the appropriate locked/unlocked status of the vehicle doors dependent upon the location of an authorized user in relation to the vehicle. In the absence of such a system, the security of the vehicle and/or personal safety of the user may be compromised.